This morning in St Peter's Square the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, Canonized eight new Saints. Among them St Marrianne Cope, "Mother of the Outcasts", who spent thirty years caring for the lepers on Moloka'i. Here are extracts from the Holy Father's Homily.
The Son of Man came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (cf. Mk 10:45)
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today the Church listens again to these words of Jesus, spoken by the Lord during his journey to Jerusalem, where he was to accomplish the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection. They are words which enshrine the meaning of Christ’s mission on earth, marked by his sacrifice, by his total self-giving. On this third Sunday of October, on which we celebrate World Mission Sunday, the Church listens to them with special attention and renews her conviction that she should always be fully dedicated to serve mankind and the Gospel, after the example of the One who gave himself up even to the sacrifice of his life.
These words were the blueprint for living of the seven Blessed men and women that the Church solemnly enrols this morning in the glorious ranks of the saints. With heroic courage they spent their lives in total consecration to the Lord and in the generous service of their brethren. They are sons and daughters of the Church who chose the path of service following the Lord. Holiness always rises up in the Church from the well-spring of the mystery of redemption, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah in the first reading: the Servant of the Lord is the righteous one who “shall make many to be accounted as righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities” (Is 53:11); he is Jesus Christ, crucified, risen and living in glory. Today’s canonization is an eloquent confirmation of this mysterious saving reality. The tenacious profession of faith of these seven generous disciples of Christ, their configuration to the Son of Man shines out brightly today in the whole Church.
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I now turn to Marianne Cope, born in eighteen thirty-eight in
Heppenheim, Germany. Only one year old when taken to the United States,
in eighteen sixty-two she entered the Third Order Regular of Saint
Francis at Syracuse, New York. Later, as Superior General of her
congregation, Mother Marianne willingly embraced a call to care for the
lepers of Hawaii after many others had refused. She personally went,
with six of her fellow sisters, to manage a hospital on Oahu, later
founding Malulani Hospital on Maui and opening a home for girls whose
parents were lepers. Five years after that she accepted the invitation
to open a home for women and girls on the island of Molokai itself,
bravely going there herself and effectively ending her contact with the
outside world. There she looked after Father Damien, already famous for
his heroic work among the lepers, nursed him as he died and took over
his work among male lepers. At a time when little could be done for
those suffering from this terrible disease, Marianne Cope showed the
highest love, courage and enthusiasm. She is a shining and energetic
example of the best of the tradition of Catholic nursing sisters and of
the spirit of her beloved Saint Francis.
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Dear brothers and sisters, these new saints, different in origin,
language, nationality and social condition, are united among themselves
and with the whole People of God in the mystery of salvation of Christ
the Redeemer. With them, we too, together with the Synod Fathers from
all parts of the world, proclaim to the Lord in the words of the psalm
that he “is our help and our shield” and we invoke him saying, “may your
love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you” (Ps
32:20.22). May the witness of these new saints, and their lives
generously spent for love of Christ, speak today to the whole Church,
and may their intercession strengthen and sustain her in her mission to
proclaim the Gospel to the whole world.
